To The Moon and Back
by drtgaf
Summary: Liam is sick. Rachel is worried and Finn is away. What'll happen? AU
1. I Feel Bad

**A/N: Hey all! Here is a new story that I've had floating in my head. It's partially based on Taylor Swift's Ronan. Just want to see what ya'll think. Please R&R!**

"Liam! Come on, honey! Time for dinner!" Rachel called from downstairs in the kitchen. Her call was met with silence.

Liam had stayed home from pre-school today. He was sick. She was hoping some food might help him feel better. She figured he might be asleep so she made sure Audrey was securely snapped into her high chair and made her way up to his room.

His door was open so she went in. He was lying on the bed under the covers. As she approached him, she could see a thin layer of sweat covering his forehead. She rested the back of her hand on his forehead and then his cheek. He wasn't just warm. He was burning up. She was a bit worried. He was only complaining of a tummy ache before.

Rachel decided to gently shake him to wake him up. He moaned and rolled onto his side.

"Come on baby, wakey, wakey." She said smiling at the 4 year old.

Liam slowly opened his dark brown eyes. "No." He whispered.

"Oh come on. I made your favorite for dinner; mac-n-cheese. Audrey has already started on her share." She said rubbing small circles on his back.

"Fine." He said not bothering to move. She waited and he didn't do anything.

"Liam? Coming?" She asked.

"I don't want to move." He said. She giggled and grabbed on to his arms and pulled so that he sat up. "Mommy, carry me."

"Oh, no. Not down those stairs." She said trying to pull him to his feet.

He eventually got to his feet. She held onto his hand as they walked down to the kitchen. Liam immediately sat in a chair and waited for his food. Rachel grabbed a bowl and scooped him some mac-n-cheese out of the big pot. She sat the bowl in front of him expecting him to devour it. He just sat there looking at it.

"Baby, how are you feeling?" She asked with concern.

"Bad." He said. He looked weak. He definitely wasn't being himself.

"How about tomorrow, I take you to the doctor?" She suggested.

"Kay." Was all he said. He normally hated the doctor. He must really feel bad.

"But until then, I need you to eat. Even if it's just a little. You need to eat. I'll get you a glass of water." She said turning to retrieve a glass.

Rachel eventually got him to eat about 5 spoonfuls of mac-n-cheese. She got him back upstairs and put him back to bed. She'd get him to take a bath in the morning. She spent the rest of the night caring for Audrey. She made sure she sanitized the surfaces that Liam had touched. She wanted to make sure her two-year-old didn't catch anything.

Once Audrey was bathed and rocked to sleep, Rachel called Kurt.

"Hello, Rachel."

"Hey, Kurt."

"What's up, princess?"

"Well, I need a favor."

"What kind of favor?"

"The kind where you get to spend a whole day with your favorite niece."

"Well, now that sounds fun. And when should I expect mini princess?"

"Tomorrow…" Rachel said hoping he wouldn't mind how late the favor was asked.

Kurt sighed. "I guess I can move some things around. What time?"

"How about 9 tomorrow morning?"

"Sounds good. Might I ask why?"

"Liam isn't feeling to good. I need to take him to the doctor."

"Okay. Any idea what he has?"

"I don't know. He's just really tired and he has a fever. I just want him to feel better."

"Yeah. Well, listen, I gotta go. I'll see ya tomorrow at 9."

"Thanks Kurt."

"Anything for you, Broadway Babe."

She hung up and prepared for bed. Once she settled into her bed she glanced at the photo on her bedside and said a silent prayer. She turned off the light and fell asleep dreaming of the man of her dreams.

**What's going to happen to Liam? What about Rachel's man? Stay tuned to find out.**


	2. Questions

**A/N: First off, hi! **** Secondly, I have no idea how leukemia works or how it feels to have it. Zero experience. Therefore, I would appreciate any errors I make regarding said topic to be ignored. Just go with the flow. Please R&R. **

_Leukemia _

The word echoed in her head. She wouldn't have predicted this in a million years. She sat in the doctor's office and listened to the explanation of the disease and how it would be best treated. The doctor kept saying how sorry she was. Rachel just sat there, frozen. Liam was in an examination room waiting for her to come back. Rachel wasn't sure how she was going to tell him. He was only four. He wasn't old enough to know about these things. He was too young.

_Stage 3_

The doctor said that there is a lot of hope. Rachel didn't believe it.

"Mrs. Hudson, I think it would be best if we transferred Liam to St. Jude's. They have an amazing group of doctors and nurses. They'll be able to help Liam."

"How long?"

"Excuse me?"

"How long does he have if he were not to receive any treatment?"

"It's hard to say. Without treatment, I'd say anywhere from 3 months to 15 months. With treatment, however, Liam would have the chance to live a long, happy life."

"Will he lose his hair?" Rachel asked softly thinking of Liam's beautiful brown locks.

"It depends on the patient, whether they will or not."

She nodded. "How do I tell a four year old, that he's got… leukemia?" She said tearing up as the words left her mouth.

"I can help you with that. I can answer any of his questions."

"But he's going to be okay, right?"

"Most likely, yes."

"Why do you say that?"

"Cancer affects people differently. Some respond really well to the treatments. Others don't. Liam seems to be a very healthy young boy. His chances are very good."

Rachel asked a few more questions about what was going to happen over the next few weeks and then she went to Liam's room. She decided that she wanted to tell him by herself first. If he had any questions that she couldn't answer, they'd ask the doctor later.

She approached his room and knocked on the door before entering.

"Hey baby." She said as she made her way over to his bed and sat on the edge. She brushed his hair away from his forehead.

"Mommy, what's wrong?" He asked with a concerned look on his face. He must have noticed the tear tracks on her face.

"Wow, I can't hide anything from you, can I?" He shook his head still waiting on her answer. "Well, baby, it looks like your pretty sick."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, um, you've got a pretty bad disease. Um, you've got, um, leukemia. It's a type of cancer. You remember how Grandpa LeRoy was sick a few years ago?" Liam nodded. "Well, he had cancer, but he went through the treatment and he's fine now."

"Did I get it from him? Will I give it to Audrey?"

"No, baby. It's not contagious." She smiled at how worried he was about his sister.

"So what now?"

Rachel took a deep breath. "Well, now we need to get you checked into St. Jude's Children's hospital. They will be the ones who are going to take care of you. They're going to make sure that you get better."

"Are you going to stay with me?"

"Yeah, well, sorta. I'm going to be there as much as I can. Okay?"

Liam nodded. Rachel hugged him and they left to go gather some of his things and then head to St. Jude's.

While he was packing up some of his toys, Rachel decided she needed to call Kurt.

"Hello."

"Hey, Kurt."

"How's our little boy wonder?"

"Not good."

"What do you mean?"

"We're headed to St. Jude's."

"What?!"

"He's.. It's ..I.. Can you just meet us there and I'll explain?"

"Absolutely."

"Also, can you leave Audrey with Blaine? She doesn't need to be around sick people."

"Sure. I'll see you there."

"Kay."

She hung up. She knew her best friend would be there for her.

"Mommy?" Liam asked carrying a big bag. "When is Daddy coming home?"

"I'm not quite sure yet. If I ever get a chance to talk to him, I'll ask." She said.

"Does he know about me yet?"

"No. I haven't talked to him." She stated.

"Oh." He dragged his big bag across the living room towards the door. She helped him get it to the car and they were soon off to St. Jude's. Hopefully, everything would work out.


	3. Need You Now

**A/N: Not much to say. Just R&R. Please…**

They made it to St. Jude's with no problems. Rachel signed all the papers that had been drawn up after the other doctor's call. Liam was soon settled into a room of his own. There were monkeys all over the walls. The room seemed very kid-friendly. If it weren't for the hospital bed in the middle, you would think it was a child's room.

"Momma, how long am I staying here?" Liam asked as he set up all his toys.

"I don't know, baby. I really don't." She said honestly.

Just then her cell buzzed.

"Hey Kurt."

"Hey where are you?"

"Room 654."

"I'm on my way. See you in a bit."

Rachel hung up and started helping Liam set up his new room.

Just as she placed his teddy bear on the bed his new doctor came in.

"Excuse me. I'm sorry to interrupt, but I thought I should introduce myself."

"Of course." Rachel grabbed Liam's hand to stop him from unpacking.

"I'm Dr. Mason. I've read up on your case so far and it looks like we'll be able to help you, Liam." He said looking down at Liam. "I'm here if you have any questions. Other than that, I will meet with you tomorrow afternoon to go over the course of treatment."

"Thank you, Dr. Mason. Liam, do you have any questions for Dr. Mason?" Rachel asked kneeling beside Liam.

He just shook his head. For the first time, he looked scared. Rachel noticed. Dr. Mason told the two to get the nurse if they needed anything and then left to go see some of his other patients. Rachel took the opportunity to talk with Liam.

"Hey, baby, are you okay?" She asked sitting on the bed and picking him up to place him in her lap. He just nodded. "Come on, now, you know I know you better than that. Something's bothering you. It's okay to be scared about everything. It's a lot to take in in not a lot of time." Liam just leaned into his mother's embrace. He still didn't say anything. Rachel rocked him a bit like she did when he was a baby.

It wasn't long until he was asleep. Rachel figured it was for the best. It had been a long day and the boy was still not feeling to well. She laid him down on the bed and continued to fix up the room for him. Just as she finished, someone knocked on the door.

She looked up to see Kurt. He looked worried. She put a finger over her lips and pointed at Liam. Then she guided him into the hallway.

"Hey." She said as she pulled the door to a crack.

"What's going on Rachel? Why are you both here?" He asked in serious need of answers.

"You might want to sit." They took their seats in the waiting area. "I took Liam to his doctor this morning. When we got there, Liam passed out or something. I don't know. Next thing I know, we're at the hospital and they're running tests. We waited for three hours. The doctor came in and said she wanted to talk with me. I went to her office where she proceeded with informing me that my innocent four year old… has, um, stage 3 leukemia." Kurt gasped. "She suggested we come here and well, here we are." Rachel was holding back tears.

"Wow. I didn't see that coming."

"Me either."

"Is he going to be okay?"

"The doctors seem to think so."

"How much does he know?"

"As much as his four year old mind can comprehend. I still don't think it's sunk in with him. He's scared. I know that. I just don't know what to do about it. It's not like there's something in the parenting manual on how to tell your kid that he's got cancer."

Kurt hugged her. "It's going to be okay, Rachel. He's strong just like you and Finn and he will make it through this." He released her. "That reminds me, does Finn know?"

"No, not yet."

"Are you going to tell him when he calls?"

"I don't know. I just don't want him to be distracted. I want him to come home safe."

"Yeah, but Rachel if you don't tell him and something happens to Liam, Finn'll never forgive you."

"I know.. I just… I don't know. I just wish he were here."

"Me, too."

A nurse approached the two. "Excuse me, but are you Mrs. Hudson?"

"Yes."

"Your son is asking for you."

Rachel got up a went back to Liam's room. She walked in and he was crying. "Hey hey, baby. What's wrong?" She said pulling him into her arms trying to calm him.

"I thought y-you l-left me."

"No, I was just down the hall talking to uncle Kurt." She said rocking him again.

"I'm sorry."

"No. Don't apologize, baby."

She rocked him back to sleep, but this time she sat in the rocker in the room and held him. Kurt sat in one of the other chairs and watched as Rachel held onto her little boy.

**-X-**

Over the next few days, Rachel learned about the treatment the Liam would be receiving. She did some of her own research on leukemia. She then looked up army regulations and tried to see if there were some way to get Finn home.

She missed him. He had always said she was the strong one, but at this point she was about to crumble. She hadn't seen Audrey in two days, Liam had just started his treatment and she still needed to go back to work, otherwise they would never be able to pay the medical bills. She needed her Finn there, with her. He would be able to help.

She had called her dads and then Carole and Burt. Both couples were planning on coming up to NYC within the next week. They were all just as worried.

She didn't know when Finn would be able to call her again. He was in some special team thing where he rarely got to call her. There was also no warning as to when he would come home or when he would leave again. She hated it. Not knowing. She was going to find out though. She couldn't do this on her own. She was going to get him home somehow.


	4. Come Home Soon

**A/N: So here is another chapter. It's sort of a catch you up chapter. Over the next few chapters, I will be making a few assumptions about the army and all the regulations involved. Don't kill me over it. Lots of Love. Also, please R&R.**

Days passed. Those turned into weeks. They were still stuck at St. Jude's. Rachel had researched leukemia and everything that goes along with it. What she had found so far scared her more than it comforted her.

It was day 24 since their lives had been turned upside down. Liam was resting in his room and Rachel was quietly on her laptop beside him.

She heard a noise at the door and looked up to see Kurt with one lovely little girl attached to his hip. Rachel motioned for him to be quiet so he wouldn't bother Liam. She sat her laptop down and made her way over to Kurt and her little girl.

"Hey, baby." Rachel said as she took Audrey in her arms. "I've missed you so much." She then placed a kiss on Audrey's cheek and was rewarded with a small giggle.

The three made their way to a small waiting area.

"So, how is he?"

"He's as good as can be expected. The doctor says that after this round, he should feel okay for a while." Rachel answered cuddling with Audrey.

"Are they going to have to do another round?"

"I hope not. Dr. Mason said that it's a possibility. I just don't want it to happen. Seeing him go through this is like torture."

"It wouldn't be as bad if Finn were here."

"Well, he isn't." She ran a hand through her hair. "I've been doing some research. I might can get him a couple weeks off to come here. I just have to contact the Red Cross or something like that."

"That's great. You should do it."

"What if they won't let him come home? What then?"

"Rachel, just take it a day at a time, okay? What are you going to do if he calls before you get word from the Red Cross?"

"Lie through my teeth."

"What?"

"I don't want him to know if he can't come home. I don't want him to be distracted by something at home when he's in a warzone. It's like the first rule of being an army wife. You make sure that he feels like everything at home is okay."

Kurt sighed. "I just wish he were here, too."

They sat in silence for a while before Rachel spoke up. "I got that role that I was talking about."

"Rachel, that's great. Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"I just found out today. I'm still not sure if I should take it. We need the money, but I need to be here for Liam."

"Well, you know, I can be here for him while you're rehearsing. Blaine can watch Audrey. We can switch. We can make it work."

"I don't want to do that to you guys."

"Do what? You know we love these kids and would do anything for them. Come Broadway Babe, you need to do this. If not for the money, than for you. You are so stressed here. You need a way to relieve that stress and you know that having this role would help."

"Yeah, I guess."

"Well, I know." Kurt said as he patted her leg.

Kurt and Audrey left a while later. Rachel made her way back to Liam's room glad to see he was still asleep. He got scared when he woke up and she wasn't there. She went back to her laptop and started the process of hopefully, getting Finn back home.

**-X-**

"Yes, well, I know there are regulations. I've looked through all of them. I don't see a reason why this request can't be approved." Rachel said into her phone while she was pacing outside of the hospital.

"_Well, Mrs. Hudson, I agree that this situation should qualify for an emergency leave. It just is not one of our regular requests. We have to send it off to the head of our department, then he has to contact your husband's CO and then we'll be able to give you an answer._" The annoyed Red Cross worker answered.

"Everything I've read says that it takes about three days after you submit the request to get an answer. It's been a week and a half. Is there anyway you can tell me when I will know?"

"_Honestly, Mrs. Hudson, no. It could be a day or maybe another week._"

Rachel let out a frustrated sigh. "Alright. Well, thank you for your time."

She hung up her cell and turned to go in the hospital when she almost ran over her dad, LeRoy.

"Oh, dad you scared me." She said with a smile. "When did you get here?"

"About an hour ago. Your daddy is already on his way to see Liam." He said wrapping her in a hug. "What was all that about?"

"I'm just trying to get Finn home."

"Does he know yet?" Her dad asked as they made their way into the hospital.

"No, he hasn't called and I haven't asked the Red Cross to tell him yet. I'm really not sure what I'm going to do if I can't get him home soon."

"I'm sorry, sweetie."

Rachel shook her head and changed the subject. "So, how long are ya'll here this time?"

"We'll be here for about a week. Your daddy's got an important meeting next Monday and needs to be back."

"Okay."

"Everything is going to be alright, sweetie."

"You know, I keep hearing that, but the more I hear it the less I believe it. This should not be happening." She said as tears of frustaration built up in her eyes.

"I know, I really wish it weren't happening."

"Me, too. Sometimes I wish it were last Christmas again. Finn was here. The kids were happy. Heck, even I was happy."

LeRoy grabbed his daughter's hand. He was upset that his daughter was upset and that there was nothing he could do about it. He figured that this was how she felt about her son. It was one of the worst feelings a parent could have.


	5. Just My Imagination

**A/N: Here is another chapter. I tried the whole cliffhanger thing this time. Tell me what ya think. Please R&R! **

"Thanks again, Dad. I won't be long. I promise." Rachel said gathering some of her things.

"Take all the time you need, sweetie. We'll be fine. Won't we, Liam?" LeRoy said looking at the boy with a wink.

"Yeah, me and Grandpa'll be fine." He said with a mischievous smile.

Rachel was about to question them, but decided against it. LeRoy had probably told him that he could have ice cream once she was gone.

She grabbed the last of her things, hugged her son and dad, and left the hospital. She felt the worry set in as she got in her car to leave the parking lot. She wasn't sure why, though. Liam was cleared to come home tomorrow. He was doing much better and she was glad, but there was still something. She shrugged it off as she left the parking lot. She was probably just worried because things were getting better and she didn't want that to end.

As she drove down the streets of New York, she went over her lines out loud. She had received the script a week ago and had almost memorized the entire thing, including the other cast members' lines. She spoke one line, paused and then waited. She wasn't sure why she had paused until she remembered that she used to rehearse her lines with Finn. She would drive as he sat in the passenger seat reading all the other parts. Practicing with him wasn't all that helpful seeing as they usually ended up goofing around and saying the lines in funny voices. She shook the memory out of her head and continued her practice.

She reached their house in a little under a half hour. As she pulled into the garage, she thought of the day they first saw the house.

_Three Years Earlier_

_"Rach, it's perfect!" Finn exclaimed as he helped her out of the car._

_"Finn, this is why I didn't want to see it. I knew it would be a great house and that you'd want it, but, babe, we cannot afford it. It's just too much for us." She said reaching in the back seat to get their one-year-old out of his car seat._

_"No, it's not. This promotion will pay for it. Trust me, Rachel. We can do this." He replied with his signature smirk._

_"I don't know, Finn." She said as they walked up to the front door and waited for the realtor to arrive._

_"Well, I do and we can do this. Everything is coming into place. We live in New York City a.k.a. the city of dreams and ours are coming true." He reached out and placed on his son's head. _

_"Well, let's not make any decisions yet. We still haven't seen inside." _

_"This is it, Rachel. I can feel it." He looked around at the house with a look that reminded her of a kid in a candy store. She knew she wouldn't be able to say no for very much longer._

They did end up getting the house. They had to adjust their budget to accommodate the cost of the home, but with Finn's promotion, it wasn't impossible. They soon moved out of their small two bedroom apartment and into their large four bedroom house. That was the moment they finally felt like adults.

Rachel parked her car, grabbed her things, and walked up to the front door. She noticed that something was a little off, but she couldn't quite place what it was. She dropped her things when she realized that the door was unlocked and slightly open. She tried to calm herself before reaching into her purse for her pepper spray.

She quietly pushed the door open and walked into the familiar home. She saw a few lights on. One in the living room, one in the kitchen and then one leading upstairs. She didn't see anything downstairs so she tried to quietly make her way up the stairs.

She was reminded of the conversation she had with Finn one year into their marriage. He had been mugged outside of their apartment complex. Shortly after, he invested in a small handgun which he kept in the drawer of their bedside table. She had protested at first, stating that a gun could only cause trouble, but soon gave in. He even convinced her to let him teach her how to use it. She was now very grateful.

They had kept that gun in their bedside table even after the move, just in case. Rachel thought that if she could just get to that gun, she would feel better and be better protected. After all, there's only so much that pepper spray can do.

She heard some mumbling and tried to follow it. She traced it to her bedroom. She figured that the gun was out of the question now. With every step, he could feel her heartbeat hasten. She got closer to the doorway and tried to decipher the conversation. She got there in time to hear the tail end of it.

"… Call me back. Love you, babe." The voice said.

She immediately relaxed at the sound of the voice. She knew this person. She knew them very well.

She walked into the room. "Finn?"


	6. Here Comes the Sun

**A/N: Here is another chapter. Since it's almost the end of my first semester of college, I might not be able to update for a while, but, then again, I might write to be able to procrastinate. Anyways, please R&R! Much Love!**

She immediately relaxed at the sound of the voice. She knew this person. She knew them very well.

She walked into the room. "Finn?"

She watched as the tall figure in an army uniform turned around to face her. "Rachel?" He said with his signature smile.

Rachel didn't wait any longer. She ran up to her husband and leaped into his arms, holding onto him as though he would disappear if she let go. "I missed you so much." She whispered into his neck.

"I missed you, too, babe."

She lifted her head from his shoulder and placed her lips on his. His lips felt so good on hers. They only parted when breathing became an issue. He placed her down gently.

They held each other's gaze for what felt like hours. She was even more beautiful than he remembered. That was interrupted when Rachel remembered why she was here.

Finn noticed the change in her disposition. "Hey, everything's going to be okay. I'm here now." He placed a hand on her cheek and then embraced her again.

That was the moment that she let it all out. She let a few tears out at first, but then they were followed by many more. He held her as she sobbed. He whispered encouraging words into her ear, trying to get her to calm down so that they could talk.

"I'm sorry." The words were so soft, he almost didn't hear them.

"You have nothing to be sorry for babe. You had no control over any of this."

"I just... I wish I would've gotten to you sooner."

"It's okay. It's just part of my job. I should be the one who's sorry. If I weren't in the army, I would have been here the whole time and you wouldn't have had to take care of all this on your own."

"I wasn't on my own. I had Kurt and Blaine and my dads and even your mom and Burt helped out. I don't think I could have handled everything without them."

"I'll have to thank them. Where's Liam?"

"At the hospital with my dads. He's actually going to be able to come home tomorrow. I was just going to fix the house up before he comes home."

"Now, I was told that he has Leukemia. Right?" She nodded. "Okay. Well, if he's coming home, does that mean that it's gone?"

"I don't know. He has to go to a checkup in a few weeks to check and see. When did you find out?"

Finn looked at his watch. "About 23 hours ago. My C.O. informed of it and told me I could come home for a while. I actually just got home a few minutes ago and called to see where you were."

"I left my phone in the car so it could charge. You must have called me as I was coming in."

"Can we go see him? Or do you really want to fix the house up?" He asked.

"Let me just change his sheets and we'll get going." She started to walk away.

"Oh, where's Audrey?"

"Kurt and Blaine have her and have basically been her parents for the past month." Rachel said with a sigh.

"Alright, I'm going to call and see if they'll bring her to the hospital in the morning. I wanna see her and thank them for everything. Then, tomorrow, we can all come home as a family."

Rachel walked back over to him. "I'm so glad you're here." She placed a soft kiss on his cheek and then sprinted off to change Liam's sheets.

**-X-**

"This is really good, Grandpa." Liam said with a mouthful of strawberry ice cream.

LeRoy smiled at the boy. "I'm glad you like it, buddy."

"Now, remember, you can't tell your momma about this or we won't be able to do this again." Hiram piped in.

"Too late." Rachel said from the doorway. Liam kinda of froze holding onto his bowl of ice cream.

"Rachie, darling, we were just… " LeRoy started.

"Celebrating." Hiram finished as he stood to go hug his daughter. "You were quicker than we thought you'd be."

"Well, you see, I went home to clean it up a bit and when I got to the front door, it was open."

Concerned, Hiram touched Rachel's shoulder. "What happened?"

"Well, I went in to see what was going on. There were a few lights on. I walked through the house and then heard a noise coming from my bedroom. I made my way to the bedroom and waited to see what was happening. And then I heard someone's voice very clearly. I walked further into the room and standing there was," She paused for dramatic effect. "Finn!"

Rachel stood aside and motioned for Finn to come in. Finn walked into the room and his attention immediately landed on his son.

"Daddy!" Liam screamed. He put his ice cream down and ran to his father who met him with open arms.

"Hey, buddy!" Finn said as he held on tight.

Rachel couldn't help the tears as they came to her eyes. With Finn home and Liam coming home the next day, she felt as though things might get back to normal.


End file.
